Salt: It’s Not All Salty!!!

A SPRINKLE OF SALT

Salt is one of the basic staples of any kitchen. In fact, that’s why Servette Home has such a wide variety of Salt shakers from basic to unique salt and pepper shakers. In fact, way back during the Roman Empire salt was considered so essential that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, their monthly allowance was called “salairum” the latin word for salt and it gave rise to the English word salary!

However, there is not simply one type of salt, rather there is wide range of different types of salt, and they vary in color, consistency, and taste. Knowing which salt you are dealing with is essential to ensuring you are using it correctly and not over salting or under salting your food.

Curious what we mean?

Read On.

What's the difference between SEA SALT and GROUND SALT?

First off, let’s discuss Sea Salt.

Take a guess where sea salt comes from. I’ll wait 1-2-3

Yup the Sea!

Bet you didn’t know that (Just Kidding)!

It’s clean, pure taste is adored by cooks and is available in coarse and fine options.

In general, sea salt is finer and less concentrated than many other types of salt. The finer crystals make it easier to control delicate foods like fish and shellfish. It's also great for baking because it will disperse evenly, so you don't wind up with any salty pockets in your cakes or cookies. And if you're not sure just how salty it is, give it a taste before you start cooking with it, and adjust accordingly.

But not all types of sea salt are the same—some are coarser and more concentrated, these types often go by other names

1. KOSHER SALT
The mother of all salts, the one and only when it comes to cooking and baking. Despite its name, kosher salt isn't necessarily always kosher, It's called Kosher salt because it’s the ideal salt to use in the process that “koshers” meat, a process that is interesting but is beyond the scope of this post.

Kosher salt tastes slightly less salty than table salt because it’s less “compact” than table salt. It’s ideal for cooking due to its ability to dissolve more quickly on the tongue. Kosher salt is easy to grab a pinch and clings to food well, making it a favorite amongst chefs and home cooks alike.

2. MALDON SEA SALT FLAKES
Maldon sea salt flakes are produced in Essex, England, it’s considered a luxury item as opposed to basic Kosher salt.

The soft crunchy flakes have a large surface area and are shaped like small pyramids. They have a clean flavor and high moisture content so they are not too “salty’ if you will.

While Maldon Salt is not the best cooking salt it’s the ideal option when you need to “sprinkle” a touch of salt on a dish before serving making it a perfect “finishing salt”.

Maldon has a slightly chewy texture that is delicious and addictive. Best for salads, on grilled meats, poultry, fish and vegetables.

 

3. PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Pink salt is a type of rock salt that gets its color from trace minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, the color differs in hue ranging from a pale pink to a deeper brick color, depending on the area it was mined. It is sold in various textures ranging from fine to coarser crystals. these extra minerals also give the salt a slightly different flavor, save it for finishing a dish so you can really enjoy its nuances. Great for presentation and adds a bit of flavor to the food sitting on top.

Pink Himalayan salt is touted by healthy home cooks as the ultimate mineral-rich seasoning for meats and fish. said to be the purest of the sea salt family.

4. COARSE SALT
Many coarse salts also come from the sea, but they should be used differently than their finer counterparts because they're more concentrated and they don't dissolve as easily. In fact they are used more for finishing or garnishing when you're looking for a dramatic contrast, like on a sweet dessert or baking salt-crusted fish, or potatoes.

A few of the most common kinds of coarse salt include sel gris, gros sel, and fleur de sel.

5. GROUND SALT
Salt which is taken from the ground, (not the sea). This salt is usually highly refined — meaning that it’s heavily ground, with most of its impurities and trace minerals removed.

The problem with heavily ground salt is that it can clump together. For this reason, various substances — called anti-caking agents — are added so that it flows freely.

6. TABLE SALT
The most common ground salt is table salt, a cheap and common seasoning that can be found in most home kitchens. It’s more concentrated then “kosher salt” so you don’t need to use as much.

Basically, this is the stuff you put into the salt shaker that pours out easily and neatly.

7. Iodized VS Non Iodized

Iodine deficiency used to be a real problem and caused a lot of problem so in the 1920’s Morton Salt started adding iodine to their salt Iodized salt usually contains anti-clumping agents that give it a distinctive, slightly metallic taste—one that most professional cooks do not enjoy. It's also highly processed and has a weaker salinity and flavor, so it definitely isn't the best option to cook with.

Worried about Iodine deficiency? Well, if you have dairy and seafood, you are more than likely covered on that front so you can choose the non-iodized version.